Western draft resolution on Syria in UN SC unacceptable for Russia

Russia does consider it possible to vote for an uncoordinated Western draft resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council

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MOSCOW, January 27 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia does consider it possible to vote for an uncoordinated Western draft resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Itar-Tass on Friday.

The draft resolution offered by the West “almost does not take into account our position,” the Russian high-ranking diplomat said. “The document lacks key aspects, which are essential for us. This is primarily the provision for the refusal from a military interference, the resolution still contains the links to the sanctions, which were imposed by the League of Arab States, it even lacks such basic things, as the provision of the adherence to the UN Charter. However, the resolution draft contains instructions that in case of non-fulfilment of the resolution within 15 days additional measures will be considered,” the diplomat said. “It is a question for us what measures will be taken,” the Russian deputy foreign minister said. “Therefore, a current draft resolution is unacceptable for us,” he noted.

“As for the voting (in the UN Security Council), we believe it impossible for us to vote for an uncoordinated draft resolution,” Gatilov underlined.

“As it was stated the document was put on the agenda of the consultations of the UN Security Council, meanwhile, we certainly insist on the fact that our draft resolution is still on the agenda in the UN Security Council, which had several rounds of expert debates on it,” Gatilov said.

The Russian draft resolution, “contrary to the Western one, focuses on the need to launch political negotiations between the government and the opposition in Syria, the appeals to the immediate end to violence from all parties to the conflict.” Russia “assumes that our draft resolution is still on the agenda of the UN Security Council, and we are ready to continue the work on it,” the diplomat noted. “Certainly we are ready to introduce relevant addenda in our text, but those which would meet the task to launch the political process and which would support further activities of the LAS observer mission,” the Russian deputy foreign minister added.

Speaking on the LAS initiative to hold a meeting of the UN Security Council over a working report of the LAS mission in Syria, Gatilov noted that Russia “expects the delivery of the report in the UN Security Council.” “This is a quite serious document, which will need a close consideration by all members of the UN Security Council,” he noted. “Before any meetings of the UN Security Council on this issue, it would be logical for all parties concerned to study preliminarily the content of this report,” Gatilov underlined.